Boat



P. A. LEA

July 8, 1941.

BOAT

' Filed June 26, I940 INVEN'IOR Q3 PeZe'r/I 1: ea/

' ATTORN Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce 8 Claims.

This invention relates to boats.

An object of the invention is the provision of a boat in which the bow has been considerably changed so that when the boat is being propelled through rough water andis forced upwardly on the waves a, cutter at the bow of the boatwill direct a supply of water as it cuts through the waves to propellers located in a short conduit below the bow whereby the boat will be located to maintain an increased speed, said cutter causing the propellers to use and displace only the water directly in front of the bar and also preventing the propeller from drawing in surplus water on the sides and bottom of the boat.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a boat having means at the front to eliminate water resistance by controlling the fiow of water directed against the bow and for diverting it through a conduit onto propellers within said conduit for propelling the boat through a channel cut through the water by said means, provision being made for causing debris or other foreign matter to be discharged through ports above the conduitito prevent the foreign matter from coming in contact with the propellers on the conduit.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a slender form of boat having straight sides and a straight bottom with a short conduit at the forward end below the water level equipped with propellers for aiding in propelling the boat on the water, the conduit opening into a flared front portion with means for causing debris to be conducted away from the conduit to remote points, longitudinal air cells being provided for creating buoyancy and for reinforcing the walls of the boat.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of a boat constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the bow taken at the water level,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal side view,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal side view with parts broken away,

Figure 5 is a rear end view in elevation,

Figure 6 is a front end view in elevation,

Referring more particularly to the drawing, ll] designates a V-shaped baffle at the bow of a boat and at the rear of a debris deck H from which the baffle rises vertically. The bottom of theboat, as shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, and as indicated at I3, is tapered inwardly toward the keel The baifie includes raised angular side walls [4 which are connected together at the front to form a sharp cutting edge 15. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper edges I6 of the walls are inclined downwardly from the front edge l5 to the rear edge. The walls I4 merge into the side walls l8 of the hull.

A pilot house or other enclosure may be located in the forward end of the boat. However, since such a construction forms no part of the present invention it has been eliminated for the purpose of clarity.

An air tube 20 extends from eachwall Mof the baflle to the rear vertical wall 2| of the boat at each side l8 thereof. The ends of the tubes are connected respectively to the rear wall and to the walls M. At spaced points partitions 22 are provided to form a plurality of air cells which will aid in maintaining the boat afloat in case of accident. Furthermore, the tubes 20 also aid in reinforcing the boat,

A tube 25 is located below the bottom of the bow and terminates forwardly of the rear end of the deck I! so that the greater portion of the bottom of the boat is free of the tube as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4. The rear end of the tube is open; as shown at 26, while the forward end 21 of the tube opens into a chamber, generally designed by the numeral 28.

A casing 29 connects the power tube 25 with the bottom of the boat. The front end 3!! is open forming part of the chamber 28 while the rear end is closed by a tapered portion 30a.

The chamber 28 is closed by a curved hood 3! which has the rear edge 32 thereof located in a transverse vertical plane passing through the rear edges 32 of the hood and the spaced side walls IQ of the baffle l0 provide a pair of spaced passages 33 upon opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the edge I5 and also through the center of the boat. The openings permit water entering the chamber 28. above the projecting edge lZa of the deck l2 to freely escape past the angularly disposed walls M of the member ll.

A baffle 35 at the rear of the chamber 28 extends through an intermediate portion of the casing 29 and closes the rear portion of said casing to the chamber 28. Wings 36 projecting at an angle to the baffle from each side edge of said baliie are secured to the inclined walls [3 of the bottom and to the deck l2. The upper edge of the baffle 35 is also secured to the bottom face of said deck. The baffle 35 and the wings 36 aid in guiding the water downwardly into the tube 25.

A grid formed of inclined bars 4Q, 31, 42 and 43 extends over the open front end of the chamber 28 below the projecting portion 12a of the deck i2. The bars 4| and 62 in connection with the upper end of the bar 40 act to stop debris and other foreign matter from entering the chamber 28 while the bars 43 and the lower end of the bar prevents debris from entering the tube 25. Bars 44 extend downwardly from the ends of bars 53 and 40 so that debris engaging the upper bars 40, 4| and 42 causes debris to be discharged upon opposite sides of the side walls H! of the member H and below the curved top 3!. The bars 53 and the lower portion of the bar 69 causes the debris to be discharged downwardly. Thus it will be seen that the angularly shaped grid forces the debris upwardly and downwardly and away from the mouth of the tube 25.

Brace bars 45 are connected between the bar 40 and bars 43 when said bars join the rearwardiy inclined bars 44 for reinforcing the grid at this point.

In order to reinforce the casing 29 at the forward end of the chamber 28 stay-bolts 50 connect a pair of side walls of said casing on front of the bar 60. However, there are many types of reinforcements which may be employed for the purpose.

A propeller 5| is shown within the tube 25 and this propeller may be driven simultaneously or separately by a motor, not shown, which is located within the hull through a shaft 52 and gearing in a housing 53. The casing 29 forms a housing for the shaft 52.

An outboard propeller may be attached to the I rear of the boat for normally operating the boat. Furthermore, any type of propelling means operated from the interior of the boat may be em- .ployed for the purpose.

When the boat is in the water and comes in contact with high waves the rear propeller may be thrown out of the water and thus eliminate the power to propel the .boat. During this time, however, the side walls of the chamber 28 will cut through the high waves and the water will be forced through the tubes 25 so that the pro pellers which are in operation will aid in maintaining the movement of the boat.

Since the water line is level with the deck l2 the tube 25 will always be below the water level so that the propeller 5! will be in position to aid in maintaining the propulsion of the boat. During the travelling of the boat when the waves are high the water will be forced into the chamber 28 and the openings 33 will permit the escape of water from the upper portion of the chamber. Any debris which is carried into the chamber 28 will move along the inclined grid and thus upward and this debris will find its way through the narrow passages between the side walls M of the bafiie I I and the side Walls of the curved top 3|. The inclined side walls will direct the debris upon opposite sides of the boat. The lower portion of the grid will direct the debris downwardly. Thus it will be seen that thi debris is car- I ried away from the tube 25 and propeller 5| in opposite directions by the grid.

An air chamber is formed at the rear of the boat at the upper portion. Longitudinal air chambers BI and 62 are formed along the sides of the boat and below the air chambers 20. However, the air chambers are not in communication with each other.

I claim:

1. A boat including a tube at the bottom of the hull and open at the opposite ends, said tube at the forward end being flared outwardly to provide an enlarged water-receiving opening, the rear end of the tube terminating at the rear of the bow section so that the greater portion of the keel of the boat will be free of the tube, an inclined grating in the flared portion, the flared portion having openings above the grating to permit the discharge of debris which is prevented from passing through the tube by said grating, 4

2. A boat including a tube open at the opposite ends thereof .and located directly below the bow of the boat, a V-shaped shell at the front of the bow and having a curved top to provide an expanded chamber opening into the front end of said tube, a rearwardly inclined baffle for directing water into the tube, a grating at the front of the shell and inclined downwardly and away from the bafiie for directing debris away from the tube, said shell having openings at the rear upper end to permit the discharge of debris which has been diverted by the grating.

3. A boat including a tube open at the opposite ends thereof and locateddirectly below the bow of the boat, a propeller located in the tube, a shell projecting from the front of the bow and having a curved top to provide an expanded chamber opening into the front end of said tube, a rearwardly inclined baflle for directing water into the tube, means for diverting debris from the tube and means for directing said debris away from the space within the shell.

4. A boat including a tube open at the opposite ends thereof and located directly below the bow of a boat, a shell projecting from the front of the bow and having approximately the same cross-sectional contour as the boat, said tube forming the bottom of the shell, a rearwardly inclined baflle for directing water entering the shell into the tube, and means diverting debris from the tube and for directing said debris into the upper portion of the shell, said shell having discharge ports for the escape of the debris.

5. A boat provided with substantially straight sides and a bottom having sections inclined inwardly toward the center, a tube open at the opposite ends thereof and located directly below the bow .of the boat, a shell projecting from the front of the bow and having a curved top with the tube forming the bottom thereof, a casing between the tube and the bottom of the boat and coextensive with the tube, a rearwardly inclined bafiie for directing water into the tube and sealing the forward end of the casing.

6. A boat including a tube open at the opposite ends thereof and located directly below the body of the boat, a shell projecting from the front of the bow and providing an expanded chamber opening into the front end of said tube, a rearwardly inclined bafile for directing water into the tube, a grid in front of "the shell and having a pair of rearwardly inclined portions extending from points in front of the tube for directing debris in oppositedirections away from said tube.

7. A boat including a tube at the bottom of the hull and open at the opposite ends, said tube at the forward end being flared outwardly to provide an enlarged water-receiving opening, the rear end of the tube terminating at the rear of the bow section so that the greater, portion of the keel of the boat will be free of the tube, an inclined grating in the flared portion, the flared portion having openings above the grating to permit the discharge of debris which is prevented from passing through the tube by said grating, and an air chamber located at each side of the boat for creating buoyancy and for adding rigidity to the boat.

8. A boat including a tube open at the opposite ends thereof and located directly below the bow of the boat, a propeller located in the tube, a shell projecting from the front of the bow and having a curved topto provide an expanded chamber opening into the front end of said tube, a rearwardly inclined baffle for directing water into the tube, means for diverting debris from the tube and means for directing said debris away from the space within the shell, a sealed casing between the bottom of the boat and the tube, and a propeller shaft extending from the interior of the boat to the propeller and having operative connections therewith.

PEI'm A. LEA. 

